I've been going through the singles of 2004 JA-productions I bought and checked which artists in the end released the largest number of imo quality singles and then used the overall quality of the tunes to get my final ranking for best artists:

There are a number of artists that did very good on a few tunes this year so they are on my list of "to keep an eye on in 2005". They don't have to be youngsters or new in the scene, but somehow imo showed a progression in 2004, what makes me very curious about their things for 2005:

My problem with Kartel is that he sounds the same on most of his tunes. He keeps on repeating the same set of lyrics. He did have some nice ones out this year, but overall not very impressive in my opinion. Also, Spragga was far more convincing in the lyrical war between him and Vybz (Done See It kills Faggot Correction easily imo).

Jah Cure had a pretty good year too indeed, but with a smaller number of tunes than the above mentionned.

BMC! Well I agree on the war! Nuh man cyaan dunn Spragga 12 years inna dis! He murdered Kartel straight! But he was the biggest artist of 2004 but not in your opinion so I respek dat. As for JAH CURE IMO I think he done well keepin the tunes to a minimal few. Poor year for Bounty and Beenie. ELE needs to check into a mental hospital his tunes IMO opinion are a joke! I was a major fan of his but now I think he turn CLOWN ARTISTE! I've got an ELE mix cd I done pm ya addy and I'll send yuh a copy!

Like Rathid, I can't say I agree about Ele . . . he has the voice, the flow, and the delivery to be a great deejay, but so many of his tunes are downright embarassing. I mean, "Sesame Street???" And, although he's been doing this for a long time, the endless stealing of R&B hooks doesn't really help him any, IMO . . . probably way too late for him to turn around now, but with some different career choices I think he could've been a deejay with some longevity, where people fifteen years from now would still play his tunes. As it is now, he seems to thrive more off of hype than off of any lasting musical contribution . . . just my 2 cents, though.

Hahaha, yes, Ele is always a point of discussion. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone would mention something about it.

Thing is for me, Ele can do it all and make it all sound good. He can do the party tunes (of which he did a few too many, I agree), he can do straight bashment stylee, but he can also do a roots riddim to good effect. This year he didn't do much roots style riddims other than the recent Tenemant Yard riddim, which isn't too bad but not spectacular either.
For pure bashment tunes he did excellent on for instance Stepz and Rah Rah. His Summer Bounce was pretty good too as was his When Gal Want Whine (Night & Day riddim) and Enemies on the Phantom riddim.

As for all his party tunes, which get the most criticism, but are extremely good selling tunes at the same time, I think it's just funny. The fact that he can even make songs like that and make 'm flow inna wicked way just shows his skills. I also have the idea that Ele himself is laughing out loud for all those that take his clowning tunes like the Chaka Chaka and Sesame Street too serious, while he's just having fun and selling I don't know how many. He can do it all and get away with it. I play those tunes, because I think many of 'm are hilarious, like the Sesame Street. Bun Bad Mind is by many conscidered as one of the wickedest bashment tunes of the year, me included. Some tunes go a bit too far though, even for me, like his recent Afraid A Wi, based on some kind of Christmas Carol, but in the main, I can handle a bunch of funny Ele tunes, as long as he keeps on showing his capability of deejaying inna dancehall fashion too, which he until now keeps on doing.

Anyway, in the end, I can't think of any other artist that released more wicked bashment tunes than Ele in 2004, hence hsi number 1 spot in my list.

well I agree BUN BAD MIND is a wicked tune and no doubt it dunn di dance every time it gets played........I'm fed up with ele and his clown tune. He made some wicked tunes like HATERS on the BUZZ and HATERZ ont he H2O riddim. As soon as signal de plane and pon di river pon di bank came out for me he just went down hill. Last ggod roots tune I heard from ele was the judgement riddim on richie stephens pot of gold label.